The future of collecting NBA trading cards looks bright with the myriad of young shining stars showcased in this year's NBA All-Star Weekend Rising Stars Game. You can find these future super-stars in 2017-18 NBA products and 2016-18 NBA products at Sports Cards Plus.
Roster highlights include:
• The World Team’s 10 players hail from nine different countries.
• Embiid, who will make his NBA All-Star Game debut in his second season, leads all first- and second-year NBA players in scoring (23.8 ppg), rebounding (11.0 rpg) and blocked shots (1.88 bpg). He is set to become the first 76ers player to start an All-Star Game since Allen Iverson in 2006.
• Simmons, the Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for October/November, is on pace to become the first rookie to average at least 16.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists in a season since Magic Johnson in 1979-80.
• Chicago’s Markkanen is the fastest to 100 career three-pointers in NBA history (41 games).
• Denver’s Murray was the MVP of last year’s Mtn Dew Kickstart Rising Stars, finishing with game highs of 36 points, 11 assists and nine three-pointers to lift the World Team past the U.S. Team 150-141. This season, Murray has increased his scoring average to 16.2 points from 9.9 as a rookie.
• Kuzma, the 27th pick in the NBA Draft 2017 presented by State Farm and the Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month for October/November, leads the Lakers in scoring with 16.7 points per game. The last rookie to lead the team in scoring in a season was the Minneapolis Lakers’ Elgin Baylor in 1958-59.
• Utah’s Mitchell is averaging a team-high and rookie-best 19.2 points. The Jazz has never had a rookie lead the team in scoring for a season.
• Boston’s Brown (14.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and Tatum (13.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg), the Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for December, have started all season for the East-leading Celtics.
• Chicago’s Dunn ranks third in the NBA in steals (2.05 spg), leads all second-year players in assists (6.4 apg) and has raised his scoring average nearly 10 points from last season (3.8 ppg to 13.7).
• Simmons (four), Ball (two) and Dallas’ Smith (one) have combined for seven triple-doubles, which is one more than produced by rookies in the previous five seasons combined.
• The World Team features five players who participated as campers in Basketball without Borders (BWB), the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program: Embiid (BWB Africa 2011), Markkanen (BWB Europe 2014; BWB Global 2015), Murray (BWB Global 2015), Ntilikina (BWB Europe 2015; BWB Global 2016) and Saric (BWB Europe 2010).
Ken pulled the Buddy Heild Galactic RC and Kobe Autograph from his box of 2016-17 Revolution Basketball.
WORLD TEAM
No. | Player (Team) | Pos.
8 | Bogdan Bogdanovic (Kings) | G
24 | Dillon Brooks (Grizzlies) | F-G
21 | Joel Embiid (76ers) | C
24 | Buddy Hield (Kings) | G
24 | Lauri Markkanen (Bulls) | F
27 | Jamal Murray (Nuggets) | G
11 | Frank Ntilikina (Knicks) | G
11 | Domantas Sabonis (Pacers) | C-F
9 | Dario Saric (76ers) | F
25 | Ben Simmons (76ers) | G-F
8 | Bogdan Bogdanovic (Kings) | G
24 | Dillon Brooks (Grizzlies) | F-G
21 | Joel Embiid (76ers) | C
24 | Buddy Hield (Kings) | G
24 | Lauri Markkanen (Bulls) | F
27 | Jamal Murray (Nuggets) | G
11 | Frank Ntilikina (Knicks) | G
11 | Domantas Sabonis (Pacers) | C-F
9 | Dario Saric (76ers) | F
25 | Ben Simmons (76ers) | G-F
U.S. TEAM
No. | Player (Team) | Pos.
2 | Lonzo Ball (Lakers) | G
13 | Malcolm Brogdon (Bucks) | G
7 | Jaylen Brown (Celtics) | G-F
20 | John Collins (Hawks) | F-C
32 | Kris Dunn (Bulls) | G
14 | Brandon Ingram (Lakers) | F
0 | Kyle Kuzma (Lakers) | F
45 | Donovan Mitchell (Jazz) | G
1 | Dennis Smith, Jr. (Mavericks) | G
0 | Jayson Tatum (Celtics) | F
7 | Jaylen Brown (Celtics) | G-F
20 | John Collins (Hawks) | F-C
32 | Kris Dunn (Bulls) | G
14 | Brandon Ingram (Lakers) | F
0 | Kyle Kuzma (Lakers) | F
45 | Donovan Mitchell (Jazz) | G
1 | Dennis Smith, Jr. (Mavericks) | G
0 | Jayson Tatum (Celtics) | F
